Now I by no means pretend to know what Vinny Cerrato has planned for the opening of free agency on Feb. 29 (and I don't think he does either) but the following projections are what I feel the team should do to address the holes we need to fill.
(Editor's note: I realize I promised the completion of my mock draft this weekend however, because I am so unfamiliar with most of the prospects right now I will post a new mock draft after the completion of the combine, once I can do more research on the topic.)
Despite Jim Zorn's recent comments about both Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El being good fits for the offense, it appears Cerrato and company think the Skins need a more durable WR. And even though free agents may not be a priority, the buzz is D.J. Hackett could be reunited with Zorn this offseason.
I personally think if we brought back midseason signees Keenan McCardell and Reche Caldwell, we should be fine. Size doesn't catch passes, talent does and I think there are enough guys in the current group with talent that we can get away with being a little undersized. This is not a position to worry about in free agency.
If we go after anyone in free agency, I think the one guy we should seriously consider is Justin Smith. This guy gets after the QB and paired with Andre Carter, these two would wreck havoc on opposing OL's and provide the type of pass rush we haven't seen since the days of Dexter Manley and Charles Mann. The only problem with this scenario would be that Dan Snyder would have to go back to his old ways of whisking people away on Redskins 1 before they knew what hit them. Smith will demand top dollar and will probably be out of our price range (is that an odd statement to anyone else?) 15 minutes after free agency opens.
An option at safety could be Mike Doss. If he too isn't vastly overpaid once this thing gets underway, he could be a valuable leader brought in to fill a tough hole. He isn't Sean Taylor by any stretch of the imagination but he could be the guy who helps seal the wound.
If you haven't gotten it from this post already, all signs point to the Redskins actually building through the draft for once. Gone seems to be the influence of George Allen bringing aging veterans looking for one last run. If that truly is the case, we may finally get that permanent turnaround we've been searching for since Snyder bought the team. Maybe the guy has finally learned his lesson.
Showing posts with label Antwaan Randle El. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Antwaan Randle El. Show all posts
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Monday, September 17, 2007
Game 2: Redskins vs. Eagles
Washington (1-0) vs. Philadelphia (0-1)
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET at Lincoln Financial Field
ESPN game preview
There really is nothing better than seeing your favorite team on Monday Night Football, even if your team and coach don't do so well historically in this situation. That's the situation that faces the Skins. Add in the fact that the Eagles are probably still upset they lost to the Packers and this has the makings of an ugly game.
Despite Jason Campbell's mistakes last week, guys stepped up and showed exactly what they needed to. Antwaan Randle El couldn't have picked a better time to step up and prove to critics that he really is capable of being a No. 2 receiver on a team that will throw the ball and Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts showed they can coexist. They need to continue that play for Washington to have a chance and I think they will.
The biggest question mark coming out of Week 1 is how will the O-line hold up after losing Jon Jansen for the season. Stephon Heyer did well replacing him last week but Todd Wade gets the start. I don't care which one of these guys gets the spot just as long as one of them gets the job done.
The only that will make this win better is knowing that the Eagles fall to 0-2 in the process while we go to 2-0. Hail to the Redskins!
Also, check out the Helmet Project, purveyors of the great helmets you see at the top of this post.
Friday, August 10, 2007
2007 Previews: Redskins offense
With the first preseason game fast approaching, I decided it was finally time to give my thoughts on Washington for the upcoming season. But because this is a Redskins blog I have decided to breakdown my Skins preview into 2 parts, an offensive preview and defensive preview.
So for my offensive preview, here are three keys to a successful season on offense.
1. Keep Jason Campbell in a position to play effectively. I know Campbell got quite a bit of experience at the end of last season but he still has a lot to learn and if the Skins are going to win games this year, they need to make sure Campbell only has to manage games and not win them. When the Skins were ahead Campbell proved effective and did a good job of controlling the game. But when they needed Campbell's arm to win, he played like every other first time NFL QB, he forced throws and had a tough time making big plays. Campbell will eventually need to make plays on his own to prove his worth but for right now, he just needs to not lose.
2. Play Redskins football - run the ball. Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts make a lethal 1-2 punch, especially with the way Betts performed as the No. 1 guy when Portis was injured last year. The problem though is Al Saunders' vaunted playbook didn't value the smash mouth football Washington has always played. Regardless of what personnel has been on the team or who has been the coach, Washington has only consistently won football games one way - by running it straight at their opponent. It will be no different this year, and if Saunders' system doesn't key in on this right away look for Joe Gibbs to take over playcalling duties again this season.
3. Will the No. 2 WR please stand up? Santana Moss and Chris Cooley have both proven to be capable receivers but Washington's quest for a solid No. 2 still has not produced a unanimous result. David Patten, Brandon Lloyd, Antwaan Randle El, James Thrash and Taylor Jacobs all have tried to fill the post but none ever had a solid claim to the position. If Moss and Cooley are to remain effective options a second WR will have to step up this season. Lloyd, Randle El and Thrash are all still on the squad and battling for the spot again this year but if none of them are up to the task they could easily find themselves following Patten and Jacobs out of town. A solid No. 2 WR will also greatly assist in the development of Campbell.
Again, defensive keys will be tomorrow night and a preview of the first preseason game against Tennessee will be posted Saturday. Football season is here so let's enjoy it before it's gone again.
So for my offensive preview, here are three keys to a successful season on offense.
1. Keep Jason Campbell in a position to play effectively. I know Campbell got quite a bit of experience at the end of last season but he still has a lot to learn and if the Skins are going to win games this year, they need to make sure Campbell only has to manage games and not win them. When the Skins were ahead Campbell proved effective and did a good job of controlling the game. But when they needed Campbell's arm to win, he played like every other first time NFL QB, he forced throws and had a tough time making big plays. Campbell will eventually need to make plays on his own to prove his worth but for right now, he just needs to not lose.
2. Play Redskins football - run the ball. Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts make a lethal 1-2 punch, especially with the way Betts performed as the No. 1 guy when Portis was injured last year. The problem though is Al Saunders' vaunted playbook didn't value the smash mouth football Washington has always played. Regardless of what personnel has been on the team or who has been the coach, Washington has only consistently won football games one way - by running it straight at their opponent. It will be no different this year, and if Saunders' system doesn't key in on this right away look for Joe Gibbs to take over playcalling duties again this season.
3. Will the No. 2 WR please stand up? Santana Moss and Chris Cooley have both proven to be capable receivers but Washington's quest for a solid No. 2 still has not produced a unanimous result. David Patten, Brandon Lloyd, Antwaan Randle El, James Thrash and Taylor Jacobs all have tried to fill the post but none ever had a solid claim to the position. If Moss and Cooley are to remain effective options a second WR will have to step up this season. Lloyd, Randle El and Thrash are all still on the squad and battling for the spot again this year but if none of them are up to the task they could easily find themselves following Patten and Jacobs out of town. A solid No. 2 WR will also greatly assist in the development of Campbell.
Again, defensive keys will be tomorrow night and a preview of the first preseason game against Tennessee will be posted Saturday. Football season is here so let's enjoy it before it's gone again.
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